Arch fitting



p 1949- w. A. MEIGHAN 2,482,426

ARCH FITTING Filed July 2'7, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

WiZZzamA T 'j'Lan Patented Sept. 2Q, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCH FITTING William A. Meighan, Portland, Oreg. Application July 27, 1948, Serial No. 40,889

Claims. (01. 24 -129) A My invention pertains to rope fittings, and relates particularly to a terminal fitting for wire rope employed in conjunction with Iogging arches used in dragging logs from the forest.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a terminal fitting which forms a smooth coupling with wire ropes whereby said fitting may be drawn over the pulley forming a part of a logging arch.

Another object is to provide a terminal fitting for wire ropes which fitting is so constructed and arranged that the knot formed in the rope comprises a series of successive bends, each bend being less severe progressively away from the terminal end of said rope, thereby reducing the shearing strains on the portion of the rope where the greatest tension is applied whereby the efiective pulling strength of the coupling and the rope bound thereto are greatly enhanced. Additionally, such construction provides for initial positive loinder ofthe rope and fitting ,due to the severe bend formed adjacent the end of the rope, where- V by said rope is held against accidental release or displacement during the formation of the knot.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rope fitting embodying my invention and illustrating the manner in which the rope is secured thereto;

'Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in 1; and r a Fig. 3 .is .a perspective view of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. V

The terminal rope fitting embodying my invention is formed as an integral structure by forging, casting, or other appropriate method of manufacture. A U-shaped section I forms an elongated aperture 2 which is adapted to receive a hook or other fitting secured, for example, to achoker rope for releasably coupling the latter to the present fitting. The ends of the Ll-shaped section are enlarged, forming "spaced heads 3 and 4. Extending transversely through these heads are axially alined tunnels 5 and 6 through which the end of rope I is threaded preparatory to securing the latter to the fitting. The head 4 is longer than head 3 and is provided with a second tunnel 8. As illustrated in Fig. 1, tunnel 8 extends obliquely through head 4, tunnels 6 and 8 diverging from each other in the direction toward the inner face of said head.

A yoke 9 extends transversely between the heads 3 and 4 adjacent a forward portion of the tunnels 5 and 6,.and maintains the heads in spaced relation with each other. The lower edge of said yoke lies in the peripheral plane of the tunnels 5 and 6, thereby providing an unobstructed path between the tunnels through which the rope -'I may be threaded. The lower portion ofthe side of the yoke projects rearwardly toward th aperture Ito form a shoulder III which separate the convolutions of the rope, as is explained more fully hereinafter. The yoke projects upwardly and rearwardly between the heads 3 and 4 and is provided with an eye II which extends longitudinally of the body of the fitting, normal to the axis of the alinedtunnels 5 and 6. The wire rope is threaded through this eye to complete the coupling knot by which the fitting and rope are united.

In attaching the wire rope to the fitting described abo e, the end of the rope is threaded through the eye H and brought downwardly through aperture 2. With wire rope of large diameter the space required for wrapping initially or forming the convolutions of the knot is necessarily large because of the relatively inflexible character of the rope. The rope is drawn forwardly under the yoke and is threaded through the oblique tunnel 8 toward the outer face of head 4. The rope is then passed through the axially alined tunnels 5 and 6 between the lower edge of the yoke and the portion of the rope which was looped downwardly through aperture 2 and outwardly through tunnel 8.

Because of the inherent strength of the wire rope a great amount of force is required to draw the knot closed. The usual procedure is to, secure the fitting to some immovable object by means of 'a detachable coupling, such as a hook, engaging the. U-shaped section I. The free end of the rope I is then secured to a power winch, or a tractor,

or other means by which the rope may be drawn tight. a

It is to be noted that the sharpest bend in the rope occurs at the point .where the latter emerges from the tunnel 6 and enters tunnel 8. The next bend occurs where the rope emerges from tunnel 8 and is looped under th rope extending between the tunnels 5 and 6. This latter bend is not as sharp as the former bend. Finally, a smooth bend is formed where the rope is wrapped upwardly through aperture 2 and passes through eye 8 in the yoke. Thus, the knot comprises a series of bends which decrease in sharpness progressively in the direction away from the terminal end of the rope in which the coupling is made.

As the rope is drawn tight, a pull is exerted upon the convolutions forming the knot. Because of the diminishing severity of the bends of the rope, the initial pull causes the rope to bend first at its sharpest bending point, i. e. between tunnels 6 and 8. It is frequently the practice among loggers to aid this initial bending by striking the rope at this point of severest bend with a hammer. In the language of the art, this action breaks theback of the rope and causes it to be bent quickly and sharply. Having thus formed the first bend in the rope the latter is effectively secured in the fitting and is prevented from slid- "it-Eliaracterized by providing considerably :greater pullin po'wer th'an 'ordinary couplings ofgeneral use. This results from the novel construction which provides a series of bends of progressively decreasing severity as discussed-heretofore. Thus,

asa pull is exerted'uponthe rope the "strainis "first impressed upon the smooth bend ior'medbetween the eye 'II and the tunnel '8. If this bend were sharp, thesevere shearing strain exerted upon the rope would cause fracture and premature breakage With a portion of the strain taken up by the smooth bend, ailesser strain is impressed upon the sharper bend-where the rope passes outwardly throughthe tunnel 8. In'similar manner, still less strain is exerted upon the sharpest bend occurring between the tunnela and the tunnel 6. 'The ultimate :lre'sult or such construction is manifest in the-ability of the wire rope knot to withstand pulls substantially equal to the specified tensile strength of the unknotted rope.

Although the rope fitting previously described may be used for many purposes, it is especially suitable for use with logging arches. T-his'is because the fitting forms a smooth coupling with the rope, as may beobserved most clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Thus, the upper face of the U-shaped section I, the upwardly projecting portion of the yoke and the portion of rope-looped therebetween presents a relatively smooth surface by which the coupling may be-drawn ever a pulley forming .a part of the logging :arch.

I claim:

1. A terminal rope fitting comprising, 'an integral body forming a-u-sh'aped section having heads formed at the extremities thereof, one of said heads being longer than the other, axially alined tunnels extending transversely through said heads, a second tunnel adjacent the end of said longer head, and a yoke extendin transversely vbetween said heads and overlying said axially alined tunnels, said yoke being provided alined tunnels.

2. A terminal rope fitting for use with logging arches comprising, an integral body forming a U-shaped section having heads thereon, one of said heads being longer than the other, axially alined tunnels extending transversely through said heads, a second tunnel in said longer head arranged obliquely with respect to its adjacent tunnel, and a yoke extending transversely between 'said heads and overlying said axially alined tunnels, said yoke being provided with an eye extending normal to the axis of said alined tunnels, the faxisof said eye projecting obliquely upward with respect to the .plane of the U-shaped section in "a'iorward direction through said yoke.

. 3. A terminal 'z-rope fitting comprising, an integral body forming a U-shaped section having enlarged heads formedat the extremities thereof, one of said heads being longer than the other, axially :alined "tunnels extending transversely through-said heads, a sec'ond tunnel in said longer head 'diverging'ifrom its adjacent tunnel .in'the direction toward' the inner :'face of said :head, and a yoke extending transversely'ibetween said heads and overlying said axially alined tunnels, said yoke bein'g provided with an eye extending normal to the axis of said alinedtunnels.

4. A terminal rope fitting comprising, an integral zbody forming a U -'shaped section having he'ads thereon, one of said *h'eads being longer than the oth'en'axially *alinedtunnels extending transversely through said lreads, a second tunnel adjacent the end'of said l'ongenhead diverging 'fromfli'ts adjacent tunnelinithe direction toward the inneri ace of said head and a yoke extending transversely between said heads and overlying said axially alined tunnels, said yoke projecting obliquely upward an'd rearward from between said II'XGa dSJtDWB/id "the closed end of said U-shaped section, said iyo'ke'being provided with an eye being provided with 2an1eye extending normal to the axis :of said :a-lin-e'd tunnels, the :axis of said eye :projecting obliquelyupward withr re'spect to the plane of the 1-.l-shaped sectioninr'a .forward direction through said yoke.

MEIGI-IAN.

No references cited. 

